Healing Hurt

I was extremely shy in high school. At the beginning of my sophomore year, I had a crush on a senior girl. We never talked, but she learned about my crush. One day, between classes, she stopped me in the hall and asked if she could borrow my jacket. Completely caught off guard, of course, I said, “Sure!” She took it and showed it to a group of “in-crowd” guys. She must have bet them that she could get it. They all laughed while I turned every possible shade of red. After the joke, she handed it back, and her group ran down the stairs, having a great time at my expense.

Back then, when I faced an embarrassing circumstance, my nature first tried to justify what I did to put myself in that situation, but soon my emotions took over. They made me relive that event over and over. I’d run scenarios in my head, using the same set of circumstances to produce a better outcome. That never works.

That experience is far from my only embarrassing moment. Thankfully, I had friends to talk to. They helped a lot. Only years later did I learn how, as a Christian, I should handle these things.

This emotional state can become crippling if we don’t allow God to come into it. King David had plenty of people mocking him and hoping he would fail or even die. Here’s what David wrote:

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalms 43:5 NIV

Notice that David wrote, “I will yet praise him.” He wasn’t there yet, but he declared by faith that he would overcome. If we “aren’t there yet,” finding ourselves reliving an embarrassing event, give it to Jesus, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13 ESV)

With this verse in mind, let’s consider something the Apostle Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit:

“Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” Romans 11:33 NLT

Some things happen to us that we cannot understand. We need to deal with emotional hurts. Bottled-up emotions eventually explode. But as believers, we can take our hurts to the Healer. We can always talk with Jesus, and as we spend time with Him, He will fill us with His love and a peace that is only available to children of God.

We need one another. If we let Him, God will place us in a community of believers. We should find a few with whom we “click.” We can seek their counsel. If we should have a serious talk with whoever has caused our distress, we can do that with wisdom and without anger or vitriol.

Don’t hang onto embarrassment. The cause is in the past and cannot be changed. Find out what Jesus wants from you today, and do it. This process is how you can put those hurts in your rearview mirror and today have immeasurable joy.